A Cell proliferation rate of mock cells (EV), cells overexpressing GALNT14 (G14 OE), and cells overexpressing the GALNT14 mutant (G14m OE). The latter carried three enzyme-inactivating mutations. P values were calculated by two-way ANOVA. Western blot images are inserted to demonstrate overexpression of GALNT14 or GALNT14 mutant. Horizontal axis, days after cell seeding; vertical axis, fold increase normalized to day 1 value. B Representative images of transwell assays for HCC cells, Huh7 (upper) and J7 (lower), with or without overexpression of GALNT14 (or GALNT14 mutant). Quantitative results are displayed in the right panel. P values were calculated by paired two-tailed student’s t test. C Cell proliferation rate of HCC cells with or without GALNT14 silencing. P values were calculated by two-way ANOVA. Western blot images are shown indicating successful silencing of GALNT14. These blots were overexposed to demonstrate endogenous GALNT14. D Representative images of transwell assays for the HCC cells, Huh7 (upper) and J7 (lower), with or without GALNT14 silencing. Quantitative results are displayed in the right panel. P values were calculated by paired two-tailed student’s t test. G14 GALNT14, Ctrl mock control for shRNA (shLacZ). E, F Relative cell viability of HCC cells treated with anticancer drugs. E Evaluation of the sensitivity of cells overexpressing GALNT14 (G14 OE) or GALNT14 mutant (G14m OE) to anticancer drugs 5-FU (in mg/mL as marked in the horizontal axis), Cisplatin (in μg/mL), Mitoxantrone (in μg/mL), Oxaliplatin (in μg/mL), Doxorubicin (in mg/mL), and Sorafenib (in μM). F A similar assessment was performed on cells with GALNT14 silencing. Vertical axis, relative fold change normalized by the value of concentration “0”. P values at each concentration were obtained by comparing cells transfected with empty vector (EV) or control shRNA (Ctrl), and cells transfected with G14/G14m or shG14 #1/2. Unpaired two-tailed student’s t test was used. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001.